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| Earth | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 27, 1978 [1] | |||
| Recorded | July – October, 1977 | |||
| Studio | Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 41:27 | |||
| Label | Grunt | |||
| Producer | Larry Cox, Jefferson Starship | |||
| Jefferson Starship chronology | ||||
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Earth is the fourth album by American rock band Jefferson Starship. The album was recorded in 1977, with the same band lineup as the previous album, Spitfire and released in 1978.
The band's previous album Spitfire had been a great success, producing a No. 12 hit in "With Your Love" and going platinum, followed by a successful summer tour. In November 1976 singer Grace Slick married Skip Johnson, the group's former lighting director, which caused some tension in the group since she had previously been with guitarist Paul Kantner for seven years prior, birthing their daughter China Kantner. [2] In addition, singer Marty Balin was hesitant to tour with the group throughout 1977, causing the other band members to blame him for loss of revenue; David Freiberg was quoted in Rolling Stone saying "...we aren’t playing enough. I don’t like to sit at home and have to exercise all the time just to make my hands work." [3] Balin also gave a contentious interview with Crawdaddy that January in which he stated "The Starship isn't big enough to keep me busy...I refuse to work with imbeciles anymore" and was especially harsh on Slick, claiming "she reminds me of my mother--she's not sexy" and that he was proud that he'd been the only member of Jefferson Airplane who had refused her advances. [2] Balin later claimed his quotes had been taken out of context and to prove no hard feelings, eventually agreed to recording another Starship album in the summer of 1977, with a tour to follow afterward.
Sessions for Earth were once again held at Wally Heider Studios with Larry Cox producing, like the previous three albums, after a month of band rehearsals in June at Paul Kantner's mansion in the Sea Cliff neighborhood of San Francisco. Sessions at Wally Heider's began on July 14, 1977 with the recording of "Show Yourself" and lasted all the way through October 13 with the recording of "Fire", much longer than it had taken for the prior records. [4] The sessions reportedly went smoothly, but as with Spitfire there was pressure to come up with another platinum release led by a hit single. Although Kantner only co-wrote one track on the album he claimed "that's what the circumstances dictated" and that "working with vocal harmonies is one of my biggest pleasures". [3] By contrast, Balin claimed that he and Slick had the "lousy" job of completing everyone else's ideas with lyrics and melody lines, and expressed interest in a Starship album composed entirely of Balin/Slick duets. [3]
Balin's lead vocal material included the catchy, optimistic pop ballads "Count On Me", "Crazy Feelin'" and "Runaway", the first two written by Jesse Barish and "Runaway" penned by Nicholas Dewey (the brother of an old Marty band mate from Bodacious DF), plus the rocker "Fire" by Freiberg and Pete Sears with lyrics by Marty himself. Lyrically, the subject of romance that had dominated his music since Red Octopus was still at the forefront. Slick had the most songwriting credits, penning the piano ballad "Take Your Time" with Sears about Balin's perfectionist pace during the making of the album and adding lyrics to Chaquico's "Skateboard", about an accident the guitarist had while filming the movie of the same name (Chaquico was an avid skateboarder, as can be seen in the band's promotional video for "St. Charles"). [3] She also wrote "Show Yourself", a return to the political commentary of the late 60s in the form of an open letter to America in which she demands to know who really runs the country.
Chaquico's opening track "Love Too Good" is a unique fusion of Philadelphia soul, disco, and jazz-fusion with elaborate string and horn arrangements by Gene Page, which closed on lengthy synth and electric piano solos from Sears. The closing number "All Night Long" is a stadium rock anthem composed by the whole band, including Kantner's only songwriting credit, which is also a showcase for Chaquico's guitar expertise. Outtakes from the album mentioned in a summer 1977 Circus article include Marty's "Let's Go" (eventually released on his 1991 solo album Better Generation ), Freiberg's "Grow Like A Weed", Kantner's "The Whale Song" (a plea to save the endangered species) and the group number "The Power". During an interview in the Oct-Dec 1978 issue of Dark Star Kantner also mentioned two more outtakes, his "Superman" and the Sears-Balin collaboration "Ecstasy".
The album's title reflected the final of the four universal elements that had been referenced by the previous three albums. The cover artwork, credited to Tim Bryant and Don Davis, showed a drawing of planet Earth with the group's name and album title printed in Star Wars -style font over a background of stars. The Star Wars association would continue when, shortly after the album's release, the group was contracted to provide the performance of a new song for the Star Wars Holiday Special . [2]
Earth was originally planned for a late August 1977 release date but with the sessions dragging through October and Balin's continual reluctance to tour, it did not arrive until February 27, 1978. According to Rolling Stone, RCA Records, smelling a hit, reportedly spent $500,000 on the album, more than any other Jefferson-related release. [3] On February 25, approximately 400 AM and FM stations aired the album in its entirety for the first time, in what was the most extensive radio promotion in the record company's history. [5] In addition, a merchandising blitz involved retailers receiving posters of the album cover, mobiles, window displays, stickers and streamers. [6] The album was an immediate success, reaching No. 5 on Billboard, shipping gold on release, eventually going platinum and yielding two major hits, "Count On Me" (No. 8) and "Runaway" (No. 12), with "Crazy Feelin'" additionally charting at No. 54. [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C [9] |
Critical reception on release, as ever, was mixed. Dave Marsh at Rolling Stone noted there were some "fine cuts and expert performances here", singling out "Count On Me" and "Crazy Feelin'", but lamented Paul Kantner's diminished role, concluding "I do think this collection of nine random, albeit tightly knit, songs could have used his peculiar and particular vision." [10] Robert Christgau at Village Voice was typically dismissive, giving the album a "C" and saying only "its expertness conceals neither schlock nor shtick nor strain of ego." [9] The New York Times also deemed the album "a tired repeat of the new formulas" of the two previous albums. [11] Michael Oldfield in Melody Maker gave another mixed review but concluded that "Love Too Good", "beautifully sung by Grace against Sears' swirling keyboard backing, is an indication of what the Starship are capable of when they put their minds to it”. [12] Over in New Zealand, Peter Thompson of Rip It Up opined "My initial reactions to Earth were largely negative. I was going to write about aging rockers who refuse to retire gracefully. But dammit, they do still pack a wallop in their own, somewhat atavistic manner, and besides the tunes have been hanging around my head for days". [12] Billboard gave another positive review, claiming the love ballads were "seamless, beautiful, and perfect for soft rock or MOR play" and that the group had never played better. [13]
Retrospectively, the album received a poor review from AllMusic with Stephen Thomas Erlewine stating that the album "had neither the melodies, hooks or style to make a second rewrite of Red Octopus tolerable" and concluded it was the group's low point of the '70s. [8] Conversely, an article on Rhino's site claims the album is underrated, singling out "Love Too Good" and "Take Your Time" for praise. [14]
A US and European tour followed which was originally to last from May 1978 through late summer and earn the band over a million dollars. [2] The first portion of the tour, through America in May and early June, went relatively well and climaxed with two shows at Nassau Coliseum which were taped for a possible live album. However, when the band next traveled to Europe, disaster struck twice. First, a riot in West Germany occurred after the band decided not to play at the Lorelei Festival near Frankfurt without Slick, who claimed she was ill. The audience ended up burning down the entire venue, including the band's instruments and equipment. [15] Pete Sears claimed "it looked like a bomb had dropped, literally". [2] The group played one more tense show for Rockpalast in Hamburg with borrowed equipment, which saw a highly inebriated Slick insult the audience by calling them Nazis and giving the Hitler salute. After this show, she was sent home to consider going into rehab and decide if she wanted to stay in the band, but elected not to do the latter. [2] Balin led the band for one more show at the Knebworth Festival in England using rented equipment, but the rest of the shows on the tour were cancelled when the news came back about Slick's departure. After they returned to the US, they filmed their appearance on the Star Wars Holiday Special , after which Marty also decided to leave the group. Finally, drummer John Barbata was forced to exit the band after a serious car accident in October 1978. This would be the end of the classic 1970s line-up of Jefferson Starship, with several new members joining the band, as well as a new producer, for the next album.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Too Good" | Gabriel Robles | Craig Chaquico | 6:03 |
| 2. | "Count on Me" | Jesse Barish | Barish | 3:14 |
| 3. | "Take Your Time" | Grace Slick | Pete Sears | 4:08 |
| 4. | "Crazy Feelin'" | Barish | Barish | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Skateboard" | Slick, Chaquico | Chaquico | 3:18 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fire" | Marty Balin, Trish Robbins | David Freiberg, Sears | 4:44 |
| 2. | "Show Yourself" | Slick | Slick | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Runaway" | N. Q. Dewey | Dewey | 5:18 |
| 4. | "All Nite Long" | Paul Kantner, Balin, Barish, Slick | Kantner, John Barbata, Sears, Chaquico, Freiberg | 6:28 |
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian albums (Kent Music Report) [16] | 61 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [17] | 4 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [18] | 29 |
| US Billboard 200 [19] | 5 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) [20] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1965. One of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to achieve international commercial success. They headlined the Monterey Pop Festival (1967), Woodstock (1969), Altamont Free Concert (1969), and the first Isle of Wight Festival (1968) in England. Their 1967 breakout album Surrealistic Pillow was one of the most significant recordings of the Summer of Love. Two songs from that album, "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit", are among Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1974 by a group of musicians including former members of Jefferson Airplane. Between 1974 and 1984, they released eight gold or platinum-selling studio albums, and one gold-selling compilation. The album Red Octopus went double-platinum, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1975. The band went through several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the Jefferson Starship name. The band name was retired in 1984, but it was picked up again in 1992 by a revival of the group led by Paul Kantner, which has continued since his death in 2016.
Paul Lorin Kantner was an American rock musician. He is best known as the co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and a secondary vocalist of Jefferson Airplane, a leading psychedelic rock band of the counterculture era. He continued these roles as a member of Jefferson Starship, Jefferson Airplane's successor band.
Starship is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Initially a continuation of Jefferson Starship, it underwent a change in musical direction, the subsequent loss of personnel, and a lawsuit settlement that led to a name change. Starship's 1985 album, Knee Deep in the Hoopla, was certified platinum by the RIAA, and included two singles that went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart: "We Built This City" and "Sara". Their follow up album, No Protection, released in 1987, was certified gold and featured the band's third number one single, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". After a short hiatus in the early 1990s, the band reformed in 1992 as "Starship featuring Mickey Thomas" and resumed touring.
Craig Clinton Chaquico is an American guitarist, songwriter, and composer. From 1974 to 1990 he was lead guitarist for the rock bands Jefferson Starship and Starship. In 1993, he started a solo career as an acoustic jazz guitarist and composer.
Modern Times is the sixth album by Jefferson Starship and was released in 1981. Grace Slick appeared on this album after a three-year absence. She returned near the end of the recording sessions, providing background vocals on some tracks as well as lead vocals on the single "Stranger" as a duet with lead singer Mickey Thomas. "Stranger" had previously been performed live by Jefferson Starship as early as December 1979, and the first studio version was made for Modern Times. Although not appearing in the band picture on the gatefold cover, Slick is listed on the back cover of the LP with the credit "Introducing Grace Slick" and her picture is on the lyric sleeve with the note "Grace Slick courtesy of Grace Slick." She joined the band officially for the 1981 tour. This was the first Jefferson Starship album to have promotional music videos. It was also the first album to feature a charting single on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, which had premiered earlier in the year. The single "Find Your Way Back" reached No. 3 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
Red Octopus is the second album by American rock band Jefferson Starship, released on Grunt Records in 1975. Certified double platinum by RIAA in 1995, it is the best-selling album by any incarnation of Jefferson Airplane and its spin-off groups. The single "Miracles" was the highest-charting single any permutation of the band had until Starship's "We Built This City" a decade later, ultimately peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart; the album itself reached No. 1 for four non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200. As was common in the era, stereo and quadraphonic mixes of the album were released concurrently.
Bark is the sixth studio album by American rock band Jefferson Airplane. Released in 1971 as Grunt FTR-1001, the album is one of the Airplane's late-period works, notable for the group's first personnel changes since 1966. The album was the first without band founder Marty Balin and the first with violinist Papa John Creach. Drummer Spencer Dryden had been replaced by Joey Covington in early 1970 after a lengthy transitional period in which both musicians had performed with the band.
Long John Silver is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Jefferson Airplane, and their last album of all new material until 1989. It was recorded and released in 1972 as Grunt FTR-1007.
Spitfire is the third album by American rock band Jefferson Starship. Released in 1976, a year after the chart-topping Red Octopus, it quickly scaled the charts, peaking for six consecutive weeks at No. 3 in Billboard and attaining an RIAA platinum certification. Stereo and quadraphonic mixes of the album were released.
Dragon Fly is the debut album by Jefferson Starship, released on Grunt Records in 1974. It peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified a gold album. Credited to Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, and Jefferson Starship, the band itself was a turning point after a series of four albums centering on the partnership of Kantner and Slick during the disintegration of Jefferson Airplane through the early 1970s.
Freedom at Point Zero is the fifth album by American rock band Jefferson Starship, released in 1979. It was the first album for new lead singer Mickey Thomas, and the first after both Grace Slick and Marty Balin left the previous year. Aynsley Dunbar plays drums on this album; he had left Journey the previous year. The album cover was shot on location in the San Francisco Bay on board the USCGC Midgett.
Winds of Change is the seventh album by Jefferson Starship and was released in 1982. It was the first studio album produced after Grace Slick rejoined the band as a full member. Aynsley Dunbar plays drums on the album, but was replaced by Donny Baldwin for the supporting tour. The album reached number 26 on the Billboard charts.
Blows Against the Empire is a concept album by Paul Kantner, released in 1970 under the name Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship. It is the first album to use the "Starship" moniker, a name which Kantner and Grace Slick would later use for the band Jefferson Starship that emerged after Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen left Jefferson Airplane. From a commercial standpoint, it performed comparably to Jefferson Airplane albums of the era, peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and receiving a RIAA gold certification. It was the second album to be nominated for a Hugo Award in the category of Best Dramatic Presentation.
Gold is a compilation album by American rock band Jefferson Starship, released on Grunt Records in 1979. It collects the band's four Top 40 hit singles from the 1970s, as well as three additional singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, a single that missed the chart, one b-side, and one album track. All tracks were also featured on their four studio albums to date: Dragon Fly from 1974; Red Octopus from 1975; Spitfire from 1976; and Earth from 1978. It peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA.
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Jefferson's Tree of Liberty is the tenth album by Jefferson Starship, released on September 2, 2008. It is the band's first studio album since 1999's Windows of Heaven. The new album includes cover songs from Irish, American, English, and Latin-American traditions. The title is a reference to Thomas Jefferson's quotation, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." The idea began in 2003 as "The Cuba Project", which was to include classic protest and folk songs recorded in Cuba. In 2008 the album was finally recorded but in California. About half of the songs planned for The Cuba Project were used on the final cut, with other songs coming from Jefferson Starship's previous repertoire and another project band member Paul Kantner had planned called "On the Threshold of Fire." The promotional tour for the album began in late June with shows at Larkspur, California followed by tours in the US and Europe before the album's release, and continued through December 2008 with a further tour in the US and a tour in Japan. On February 1, 2009, more tour dates and venues were announced by the band's manager Michael Gaiman, with additional plans to continue the tour through 2010 and bring it to Australia and South America. David Grisman joined the band for the April 2009 tour dates. The band's promotion for the album ended in June 2009 as the band changed their set-list to Jefferson Airplane's Woodstock Festival material and started touring with the "Heroes of Woodstock" through the end of October.
David Freiberg is an American musician best known for contributing vocals, keyboards, electric bass, rhythm guitar, viola and percussion as a member of Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane, and Jefferson Starship. Among other tracks, he co-wrote "Jane", a hit for Jefferson Starship.
"Miracles" is a song written by Marty Balin and originally recorded by Jefferson Starship, appearing on its 1975 album Red Octopus.
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